Snap-on indicator cap

ABSTRACT

A closure for a container, including means for counting and indicating the number of times the closure has undergone a cycle of closing and opening the container, and further including means for incorporating the closure into means for resisting the opening of the container by a child. In a preferred embodiment, the closure includes an outer cover having an indicator symbol window an indicator symbol carrier rotatably mounted in the outer cover with indicator symbols visible through the indicator window, tooth and pawl means for allowing one-way rotation of the outer cover relative to the indicator symbol carrier to allow the advancement of the window and an audible click as the pawl passes over a tooth to confirm proper advancement, lost motion means for positively assuring the advancement of the window by one and only one indicator symbol upon each cycle, and a closure mechanism requiring the application of an axial force urging the closure toward the container while applying a rotational force to disengage the closure from the container.

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/153,531filed Nov. 16, 1993, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,732,836 issued Mar. 31, 1998,which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/021,735 filed Feb.23, 1993, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,548 issued Nov. 16, 1993, which is acontinuation of application Ser. No. 07/718,354 filed Jun. 21, 1991, nowabandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No.07/641,759 filed Jan. 17, 1991 now abandoned, which is acontinuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 07/306,485 filed Feb. 3,1989, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,338 issued Apr. 23, 1991.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to closure members for containers, bottlesand the like and, more particularly, to closure members having indicatormeans to indicate the number of times the container has been opened. Theinvention can also be used for any other application in which the numberof times a given activity is performed must be indicated.

In the medical field, medical drugs have a predetermined therapeuticrange in which the effects of taking the drug are beneficial.Under-utilization of a drug may endanger the user with the drug's sideeffects without reaching levels necessary for a therapeutic action. Onthe other hand, over-utilization may cause side effects or toxicity to amuch greater extent than any possible benefit. Thus it is criticallyimportant that a patient follow prescribed directions on medications,yet frequently patients forget whether they have taken medication andeither omit doses or repeat them.

A considerable number of pill-timing schemes have been used to solve theproblem of reminding a patient to take a dose of medicine or remindinghim he has already taken the dose. The most used ones involve somescheme of compartmentalization of the necessary medication, such thatthe pills are placed in compartments that are labeled by day, dosenumber or time of day, or that are serially numbered. These devices arereasonably satisfactory if a responsible person is available and has thetime and patience to fill the compartments properly.

In dispensing pills of a single type, a number of window-containingbottle caps have been invented. Through the window a movable elementmarked with an index is visible. In only a few devices does theindicating element index in position relative to the window each timethe cap is loosened, removed, replaced, and retightened. Thus, bylooking at the index mark displayed through the window, a user can seewhere in repetitive sequence of dose he or she is.

One of the most serious disadvantages of prior art devices of the windowindexing type is that there is no warning to the user in case the userdoes not turn the device far enough during the opening or closing toproperly advance the window. Unless the user is alert to the index valuebefore opening and then after closing such devices, the user will beunaware that the window failed to advance to a new index. Most users,especially the elderly who may not understand how the device operates,will not be this alert to the functioning of the device. In addition,most prior art devices fail to provide positive locking in bothdirections of movement; thus, the index may be moved appropriately whenthe device is opened or closed, but additional movement is not preventedwhen the device is moved in the opposite direction. This allows theindex to drift, often causing failure or an incorrect reading,particularly after the device has been used over a period of time.

The device of U.S. Pat. No. 4,011,829 issued Mar. 15, 1977 to Wachsmann,et. al., attempts to provide positive locking in both directions, butbecause of the direction of the tooth designed to prevent movement ofthe index upon closure, the device may not work reliably, particularlyafter wearing with use. Also, the device of Wachsmann does not providespace for the ratchet teeth to slide past the engagement teeth when thedevice is moving in a direction wherein such teeth should disengage,which may cause unreliable operation over a period of time. Anotherdrawback of this device is its inclusion of the "child proofing" featurewith the indexing feature, which makes the device quite complex. Otherfeatures of this device, such as the method of providing the lost motiondrive and the requirement of a post in the middle of the elements tohold the device together, also increase its complexity.

The device of U.S. Pat. No. 3,151,599 issued Oct. 6, 1964 to Livingstonprovides positive locking in both directions, but it does so by means ofvery closely spaced projections that would be difficult to manufactureeconomically. Furthermore, this device does not provide space for theprojections to move while sliding past each other when not engaged.

The device of U.S Pat. No. 4,666,051 issued May 19, 1987 to Trick has anindicator wheel with a serrated rim projecting above and below the planeof the wheel. The serrations engage mating serrations in upper and lowerelements in order to drive the indicator mechanism. The serrations arerigid and, therefore, tend to wear excessively as they slide past oneanother.

The device of European Patent Application No. 87100917.2, published Jul.27, 1987, by Schwab, has a cup-shaped exterior element that engages afrustoconical closure cap. The Schwab device is somewhat complicated indesign and manufacture. The device of U.S. Pat. No. 4,220,247 issuedSep. 2, 1980 to Kramer also includes a cup-shaped exterior element whichengages an inner element.

Other devices in the art include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,511,050 by Nicol;4,365,722 by Kramer; 4,749,093 by Trick; 4,782,966 by Thackrey;4,753,189 by Mastman; 4,705,182 by Newel-Lewis; 4,662,520 by Griffen;4,641,759 by Kelley; 4,634,012 by Kelley; 4,562,933 by Dennis; 4,528,933by Allen; 4,511,050 by Nicol; 4,548,157 by Hevoyan; 4,501,370 by Kelley;4,489,834 by Thackrey; 4,432,300 by Lyss; 4,419,016 by Zoltan; 4,405,045by Villa-Real; 4,357,192 by Moser; 4,347,804 by Villa-Real; 4,094,408 byFord; 3,996,879 by Walton; 3,960,713 by Carey; 3,926,326 by Grau;3,921,568 by Fish; 3,887,099 by Gillman; 3,753,417 by Garby; 3,446,179by Bender; 3,334,731 by Dale; 2,943,730 by Tregilgas; 2,939,597 byGreene; 2,587,147 by Guion; and 498,851 by Adsit.

It is thus apparent from a review of this art that there is a need foran improved indicator cap that provides positive controlled movement ofthe index on both opening and closing of the device, while alsoproviding an indication to the user that the index has functionedproperly each time the device is used. Preferably, the basic design ofsuch a device could also be used in other applications where it isnecessary to have a record of the number of times a given event occurs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an indicator deviceto indicate the number of times a given event has occurred. Such aninvention may have applicability in the control of chemical containers,the development of photographic film and many other areas.

More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to providean indicator cap for a medication dispensing bottle or the like thatprovides an indication each time the bottle is opened and then reclosed.

It is another object of this invention to provide a device that haspositive control of the index member during both the opening and theclosing motions.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an audible sound toconfirm that the device has been rotated sufficiently to move the indexto the next location and to also provide an audible sound when thedevice has been rotated sufficiently to re-cock the device for the nextopen-close sequence.

Still another object is to provide space within the device for thelocking mechanisms to slide past each other when not engaged to allowsuch mechanisms to work reliably over a long period of time.

Another object of the present invention is to combine functions usuallyrequiring several components into single components to reduce thecomplexity of the device and provide ease of manufacturability andassembly.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an indicatorassembly that can easily be flush-mounted or snap fitted to the top ofan ordinary cap without requiring any special modifications to the capitself.

Another object is to provide a device with indicator symbols that can besensed by touch such as raised letters or braille.

Another object is to provide a device that can be easily grasped byelderly or impaired patients, as by including grasp-facilitatingelements on the device.

Another object is to provide a device which is easily manufactured andassembled and which includes interchangeable parts among devices fordifferent dosage schedules.

These and other objects of the present invention are provided by meansof an indicator having a cup shaped outer cover with a window in the toppiece of the outer cover. Underneath the window, and within the body ofthe device, is an indicator wheel having numbers, days, times or otherindicator symbols engraved or printed thereon which are visible throughthe window to indicate the next time the indicated event occurred (orthe last time the indicated event occurred, depending on the chosenprotocol for the device). The indicator wheel contains a pawl formedtherein or attached thereto that engages a set of teeth formed in theunderside of the top piece of the outer cover and which engages theteeth only when the outer cover is turned one direction. This engagementcauses the indicator wheel to move to the next index location each timethe outer cover is turned in that direction. Underneath the indicatorwheel, and attached to the outer cover is a ratchet wheel which containsa pawl formed therein or attached thereto. The pawl engages a set ofteeth on the indicator wheel to prevent the indicator wheel from movingwith respect to the ratchet when the outer cover is turned is theopposite direction. The pawls on the two wheels, and the teeth formedopposite the pawls are designed such that the indicator wheel moves to anew location upon turning the outer cover in that opposite direction,and is kept in that location when the cap is closed, allowing the windowin the top piece to uncover the next indicator symbol as the outer coveris turned in that opposite direction.

Both pawls are formed or attached such that space is provided for thepawl to move out of the way when being moved in a direction where theteeth are disengaged. The pawl moves away from the teeth as the teethslide over the pawl, and as the pawl slides past the edge of a tooth, itmakes an audible sound as it snaps back into place. Thus, the devicemakes a sound when the outer cover has been turned in one direction asufficient amount for the indicator wheel to move to the next location,and it also makes a sound when it has been turned in the oppositedirection sufficiently to re-cock the mechanism for the next cycle.

To provide for ease of assembly during the manufacturing process, theratchet wheel is provided with tabs that compress while the ratchetwheel is being placed into the outer cover, and snap into a groove inthe outer cover to firmly hold the device together and preventdisassembly. The grooves may have side walls perpendicular to theinterior surface of the outer cover depending skirt and the tabs may beflexible to facilitate assembly. Alternatively, for molding reasons, thegroove side walls may be at an angle less than perpendicular and thetabs may be substantially rigid in the manner described in more detailbelow.

The indicator wheel has a circular hole through its middle, one side ofwhich rotatably receives a post in the cap and the other side of whichrotatable receives a post in the ratchet wheel. The pair of posts in thecap and ratchet wheel extending into the hole in the indicator wheel, incombination with the depending skirt of the outer cover, help to holdthe assembly together as it operates and maintain the outer cover,indicator wheel and ratchet wheel on the same rotational axis.

The indicator is particularly, but not exclusively, useful to indicatedosage schedules on a medicine container. The indicator may be attachedto a standard medicine container cap or other cap by means of a ratchetwheel flange attached to the bottom periphery of a depending skirt whichsnaps over the bottom rim of the container cap. Alternatively, theindicator may be attached to the standard cap utilizing adhesive meansbetween the ratchet wheel and the cap. In an embodiment which attacheswith adhesive, the indicator cap depending skirt may terminate at thebottom of the ratchet wheel, and the ratchet wheel may be attached tothe top of the standard cap with an adhesive such as double-sidedadhesive tape so that the indicator device is mounted flush with thecircumference of the standard cap. The adhesive may also be a VELCROhook and loop fastener. In yet another embodiment, the indicator itselfbecomes the closure for the container and replaces a standard cap, byincluding a skirt depending from the ratchet wheel containing threads orother closure means to engage the container. If the indicator is usedwith a child resistant cap of the type that includes an outer cap thatmust be pushed in the axial direction against an inner sealing cap inorder to remove the cap, the outer cap may be attached to or integralwith the ratchet wheel. If so, then it can be seen that the device wouldinclude an outer cover, an indicator wheel, a ratchet wheel attached toor integral with an outer cap, and an inner sealing cap.

The indicator symbols on the indicator wheel may be raised or recessedrelative to the indicator wheel top surface and may be in braille, andthe window in the outer cover may be rounded, so that the patient canfeel the indicator symbols with a thumb or finger.

In one embodiment, the number and configuration of tabs on the ratchetwheel to engage outer cover are optimized such that a single ratchetwheel can be used for a variety of dose schedules in order to maximizeassembly flexibility and minimize manufacturing costs. The number andconfiguration of tabs may also be optimized such that the indicatorwheel can be inserted into the outer cover in multiple orientationswithout misaligning the window and the indicator symbols.

Certain embodiments of the invention include means for viewing an arrowon the standard cap on a container if necessary or for attaching theindicator onto the standard cap in a desired orientation with respect tothe arrow. Other embodiments include grasping means on the periphery ofthe indicator to facilitate the turning of the outer cover.

Another embodiment of the invention uses an outer cover with a hingedsnap top. The hinged top allows access to the indicator wheel.Alternatively, the outer cover has a slot. Rather than the indicatorwheel having permanent indicator symbols, the indicator wheel isconfigured to receive a temporary indicator disk with the desiredindicator symbols, by accessing the indicator wheel through the hingedtop or slot. In this way, a single device can be used for any dosageregimen, by simply choosing the appropriate indicator disk.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an exploded perspective view of the invention together witha container and standard container cap.

FIG. 2 shows an exploded perspective view of the three major elements ofthe invention as seen from the bottom.

FIG. 3 shows a partial sectional view of one embodiment of the means forattaching the invention to an ordinary container cap.

FIG. 4 shows a partial sectional view along line 4--4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 shows a partial sectional view of an embodiment of the inventionwhich includes container sealing means.

FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of the invention for mounting flush to anordinary container cap.

FIG. 7 shows a sectional view along line 7--7 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 shows an elevational view of another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9 shows an elevational view of another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 10 shows an exploded perspective view of another embodiment of theinvention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The invention is primarily comprised of three parts: the outer cover,the indicator wheel, and the ratchet wheel. In addition, one embodimentof the invention uses an adhesive or other means to affix the ratchetwheel to the standard cap of a medicine dispenser, bottle or the like,and another embodiment uses an inner sealing cap for a child resistantapplication.

As explained above, the device may be used anywhere it is necessary tokeep a record of the number of times an event has occurred. The devicehas particular applicability to medicine containers and, for ease ofexplanation, will be described primarily in that application. As a useropens the medicine container the outer cover of the device is generallytwisted in a counterclockwise direction looking down on the cap. Theinitial twisting motion does not turn the sealing cap to open thebottle, but instead, through a ratchet pawl and gear teeth, turns theindicator wheel to advance it to the next index location. Although theindicator wheel has advanced, the next index location is not yet visiblein the window because the outer cover turned with the indicator wheel.When the outer cover reaches a predetermined angle with respect to theratchet wheel, and therefore the sealing cap of the bottle since the twoare attached, the sealing cap begins to turn and eventually the two capsare removed from the bottle. The user then takes the prescribed dosageof medication and places the two caps back on the bottle. Then the userturns the caps clockwise to begin tightening the seal with the bottle.When the sealing cap reaches its limit and is tight, the outer covercontinues to turn. A pawl on the ratchet wheel meshes with teeth on theindicator wheel to hold the indicator wheel in place while the outercover turns to expose the next index location through the window.

As the outer cover is loosened, the pawl on the ratchet wheel slidesover the teeth on the indicator wheel because it has room to flex awayfrom these teeth. As the pawl passes over the next tooth, the springaction of the pawl snaps it over the edge of the tooth causing asnapping or clicking sound. Likewise as the cap is being closed, thepawl on the indicator wheel slides over the teeth on the outer cover andmakes a click as it passes over the edge of a tooth. Therefore, a clickis heard by the user when the indicator wheel has advanced to the nextindex location, and a second click is heard when closing the cap as themechanism is re-cocked for the next cycle. Both pawls are designed withsufficient space behind them to allow them to move out of the way of theteeth, giving long term reliability, and they are designed to springback into place after passing a tooth, which causes the audible soundthat informs the user that the mechanism is working correctly.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the cap 10 is comprised of an outer cover 100which fits over an indicator wheel 200. A ratchet wheel 300 fits insidethe outer cover 100 and is held into the outer cover 100 by flexible tabprojections 310. The indicator wheel 200 is contained between theratchet wheel 300 and the outer cover 100. The indicator wheel is notattached to either the outer cover or the ratchet wheel, but floatsbetween the two as its pawl engages the teeth of the outer cover and itsteeth engage the pawl of the ratchet wheel. In order to stabilize theassembly and to reduce frictional drag between the outer cover skirt andthe perimeter of the indicator wheel as it floats, and to help reduceany bowing in the wheels in the molding process, the indicator wheel 200has a central hole 226. The central hole 226 receives anaxially-extending post 326 in the center of the upper side of theratchet wheel 300 and an axially-extending post 126 in the center of thelower side of the outer cover 100.

The ratchet wheel 300 is attached to the sealing cap 502 of a bottle 525in the manner described below. As a user grasps the outside of the outercover 100 to turn the cap, the rotary motion is transferred to theratchet wheel 300 through projections 310 and to the sealing cap 502 toturn the sealing cap 502 and remove it from the bottle 525. A window 110in the outer cover 100 is used to view indicator symbols 210 located onthe indicator wheel 200. Window 110 is only wide enough for one set ofthe indicator symbols 210 to be visible at any time.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the indicator cap 10 shown from thebottom to better illustrate the two ratchet systems employed in thedevice to achieve optimum operation. Gear teeth 120 are formed in thebottom side on the outer cover 100 in a manner that allows them to meshwith the pawl 220, located on the indicator wheel 200, when the outercover 100 is rotated in the direction of arrow 130. Rotation in thedirection of arrow 130 is counterclockwise to a user looking down on thecap, although it appears clockwise in this view looking upward. Acounter clockwise rotation is the normal movement for removing a cap,and as the outer cover 100 is rotated this way, the pawl 220 engages theteeth 120 which causes the indicator wheel to rotate in the direction ofarrow 130.

Projections 310 on the ratchet wheel 300 are designed to fit into slots140 on the outer cover 100 and lock into groove 150. Since the slot 140and the groove 150 are wider than the projections 310, a lost motiondrive is formed whereby outer cover 100 can turn through a predeterminednumber of degrees relative to the ratchet wheel before projections 310are encountered by the sidewalls 160 of slot 140. Once the projections310 make contact with the sidewall 160 of the slot 140, the ratchetwheel 300 will begin to turn which will then turn the sealing cap 502.The number of degrees the outer cover 100 is allowed to turn isdetermined by the width of slots 140 and projections 310, and wouldgenerally correspond with the number of degrees between the indicatorsymbols 210 (FIG. 1) on the indicator wheel 200. For clarity in theFigures, the device is depicted with three flexible projections andslots but, as explained below, the device could actually have two, fouror any other desired number of projections and slots.

FIGS. 1 and 2 should be viewed together to best illustrate replacing thecap 502 on the bottle 525. When the indicator cap 10 is replaced on thebottle 525, the cap 10 is turned in a direction opposite arrow 130 (thatis, clockwise as viewed from the top of the cap). Until the sealing cap502 is tight on the bottle 525, sealing cap 502, ratchet wheel 300 andouter cover 100 will turn in unison. Once the sealing cap 502 is tighton bottle 525, the sealing cap 502 will cease to turn. However, becauseof the lost motion drive formed by the projections 310 on the ratchetwheel 300, the slots 140, and the grooves 150 in the outer cover 100,the outer cover 100 will continue to turn in the direction oppositearrow 130. Friction between the outer cover 100 and the indicator wheel200 will attempt to turn the indicator wheel 200 along with the outercover 100. However, the tooth 330 on the pawl 320 of the ratchet wheel300 will engage teeth 230 on the indicator wheel 200 to prevent theindicator wheel 200 from turning. Since the indicator wheel 200 wasturned in the direction of arrow 130 when the cap was opened, and sincethe indicator wheel 200 is prevented from turning in the oppositedirection upon closure, the indicator symbols 210 will advance oneposition in the window 110.

The number of indicator symbols that can be placed on the indicatorwheel 200 is determined by the width of slots 140 and projections 310 aswell as the number of teeth 120 in the outer cover 100 and the number ofteeth 230 in the indicator wheel 200. Of course, the width of the window110 should correspond to the width of one index mark. The indicatorsymbols shown in FIG. 1 consist of Ml, M2, Tu1 . . . Sa2, Su1, Su2, andcorrespond to medication to be taken twice a day for one week. Otherindex marks could be used depending on the dosage of the medication. Theindex marks may be molded into or printed onto the indicator wheel 200or printed on a label which is then attached to the indicator wheel 200.Preferably, the indicator symbols are arranged with the day symbol andtimes per day one on top of the other as shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show the window 110 as an opening with a generallytrapezoidal bottom and circular top and with a bevelled edge 140. Awindow of that configuration can be used in combination with raised orrecessed indicator symbols or braille indicator symbols. In this way thepatient can discern the indicator symbols in the dark and sight-impairedpatients can discern the indicator symbols.

The teeth 230 and the pawl 220 of the indicator wheel can be seen inFIG. 2. A tooth 240 extends above the top surface of the indicator wheel200 to engage the teeth 120 of the outer cover 100. The pawl 220 isformed into the indicator wheel 200. However, the pawl 220 is not asthick as the indicator wheel, a space 250 being left below the pawl 220.This space 250 allows the tooth 240 of the pawl 220 to flex below theupper surface of the indicator wheel 200 when the teeth 120 of the outercover 100 are moving in a direction which will not engage the tooth 240,that is, when the outer cover is moving in a direction opposite thearrow 130 of FIG. 2. This movement occurs when the cap is beingtightened on the bottle. As the outer cover is tightened, one of theteeth 120 will depress the tooth 240 which will depress the pawl 220. Byforming the indicator wheel 200 out of a resilient material, such asplastic, the pawl 220 will have a spring effect which will bias the pawl220 and the tooth 240 toward the outer cover 100. As the trailing edgeof one of the teeth 120 passes over the pawl, the pawl will spring backinto place. This movement results in an audible snap or click which isloud enough to be heard by the person operating the cap. Thus the personknows that the mechanism has been re-cocked for the next cycle.

The ratchet wheel 300, with a pawl 320 having a tooth 330 can be seen inFIG. 1 and FIG. 2. The tooth 330 is designed to engage the teeth 230 ofthe indicator wheel 200 when the cap is being closed. This engagementprevents the indicator wheel 200 from moving with respect to the ratchetwheel 300, which allows the outer cover 100 to move the window 110 overthe next index mark. When the cap is being opened, the teeth 230 of theindicator wheel 200 and the tooth 330 of the ratchet wheel 300 are notengaged and function in a manner similar to the teeth 120 of the outercover 100 and the pawl 220 of the indicator wheel. That is, the pawl 320is formed in such a way that space is left below the pawl so that one ofthe teeth 230 can depress the pawl 320 when the cap is being opened. Asthe trailing edge of one of the teeth 230 passes over the tooth 330, thepawl 320 springs back to its normal position causing an audible snap orclick which can be heard by the person opening the cap. This snap orclick alerts the user that the indicator wheel has advanced to the nextindex mark. Thus the combination of the pawl 320 and the teeth 230 aswell as the pawl 220 and teeth 120 give the user an audible indicationthat the indicator wheel has advanced one index mark on opening, andthat the mechanism has been re-cocked for the next cycle when the cap isclosed. The operation of the teeth and pawls is also described inapplication Ser. No. 306,485 filed Feb. 3, 1989, of which this is acontinuation-in-part and the disclosure of which is hereby incorporatedby reference.

The projections 310 of the ratchet wheel 300 are designed to passthrough the slots 140 of the outer cover 100 and lock into grooves 150.Furthermore, the projections 310 may be designed with a space betweenthe projection and the body of the ratchet wheel that allows theprojections 310 to compress as they are being inserted into the outercover 100 during assembly. When the tabs 310 are inserted far enoughinto slots 140 to reach the grooves 150, the projections snap into thegrooves 150 to lock the ratchet wheel 300 in place. Because of thisarrangement, the cap 10 is easy to assemble and does not easily comeapart.

The grooves 150 may be configured so that the groove walls toward thebottom of the outer cover are at an angle less than perpendicular to theinterior surface of the depending skirt. Although this may result in aslightly less secure assembly, it facilitates the injection molding ofthe outer cover, because a less expensive bump-off mold can be usedwithout lifters, sliders or collapsible elements. Also, the projectionsmay be designed without any space between the projection and the body ofthe ratchet wheel 300, so that they are substantially inflexible.However, the ratchet wheel and outer cover are still deformable enoughto allow the ratchet wheel to be inserted into the outer cover to allowthe projections to lock into the grooves.

It should be appreciated that the angular position of the outer cover100 in relation to the indicator wheel 200 is important. That angularrelationship must be such that when the outer cover 100 is turned oneway relative to the ratchet wheel 300 the tabs 310 are stopped by theend of the slotted grooves 140 just after the pawl 220 of the indicatorwheel 200 snaps over a tooth of the teeth 120 on the interior of theouter cover. Also, when the outer cover 100 is turned the other wayrelative to the ratchet wheel 300 the projections 310 are stopped by theother end of the slotted grooves 140 just after the pawl 320 of theratchet wheel 300 snaps over a tooth of the teeth 230 of the indicatorwheel 200. Otherwise, the indicator wheel would turn too far relative tothe outer cover when turned in one direction and not far enough whenturned in the other direction. The result would be a misalignmentbetween the window 110 and the indicator symbols 210. This misalignmentwould occur if the position of the grooves 150 relative to the set ofouter cover teeth 120 is not uniform on all grooves. If that position isnot uniform, then there would be alignment if the projections 310 areinserted into the grooves 140 in a correct position, but there would bemisalignment if the projections 310 are inserted into the grooves 140 inan incorrect position.

One way to avoid inserting the projections 310 into the grooves 140 inan incorrect position is to include positioning marks on both the outercap and the ratchet wheel to allow the assembler to determine thecorrect position. Another way is to position the flexible projections310 and the slots 140 in a nonuniform spacing around the circumferenceof the ratchet wheel and the skirt of the outer cover, so that theratchet wheel will fit into the outer cover in only a single position. Adisadvantage of the first approach is that it requires some care in theassembly of the device. Also, it is difficult to implement that approachin automated assembly processes. A disadvantage of the second approachis that it may necessitate a different ratchet wheel for each differentset of symbols on the indicator wheels.

Another way to avoid inserting the projections 310 into the grooves 140in an incorrect position is to design the device so that all grooves areoriented uniformly with respect to the outer cover teeth 120. In thisway, there can be no incorrect position of the indicator wheel, becauseall grooves are identically oriently with respect to the outer coverteeth 120 and, therefore, with respect to the indicator wheel 200 andindicator symbols 210. It should be apparent that this is possible onlyif the number of outer cover teeth 120 is evenly divisible by the numberof grooves 140. If so, then each groove will have the same orientationwith respect to the nearby outer cover teeth 120. For example, there maybe twelve outer cover teeth 120 (and, therefore, twelve positions of theindicator wheel) and either three or four grooves 140, since twelve isevenly divisible by both three and four. Alternatively, there may betwenty-one outer cover teeth and three grooves, fourteen outer coverteeth and two grooves or seven grooves, and so on.

It may be particularly useful to have seven grooves 140, since there areseven days in a week. The seven grooved outer cover and correspondingseven tabbed ratchet wheel could then be used with seven, fourteen,twenty-one or twenty-eight teeth and the ratchet wheel could still beinserted into the outer cover in any position without risking amisalignment.

The invention can be attached to a container in one of several ways. Anadhesive strip such as double-sided tape 30 may be attached to the lowersurface of the ratchet wheel 300 as shown in FIG. 1. The adhesive stripthen is adhered to the top of the ordinary cap of a container. Thismethod of attachment is exceptionally simple. It is also flexible inthat the device can attach to any ordinary container cap that will fitinto the hollow of the outer cover skirt.

Another method for attachment is the snap-on arrangement shown in FIG. 3and FIG. 4. In this arrangement, the ratchet wheel 300 includes adepending skirt 334 extending axially downward. The lower rim of thedepending skirt includes a flange 336 extending radially inward. Theflange 336 engages the lower lip of the skirt of an ordinary cap 502,thereby securing the device to the ordinary cap. The inner surface ofthe ratchet wheel depending skirt 334 may include irregularities such asaxially extending ribs 338 to engage mating ribs 504 on the ordinarycap, thereby providing an additional resistance to any sliding of theratchet wheel skirt in relation to the ordinary cap. The snap-on flange336 may also be disengagable from the ordinary cap 502, so that thedevice can be removed when the medicine is exhausted.

In another arrangement for attaching the device to a container, thedevice is integral with the closure means, as shown in FIG. 5. In thisarrangement, a skirt 352 depending from the ratchet wheel 300 includesattachment means on its inner surface. The attachment means directlyengage mating attachment means on the container, and may be threads 354,as shown in FIG. 5 or may be lugs and bayonets. The arrangement may bechild-resistant by requiring the user to exert an axial force againstthe cap to overcome a bias in the cap while turning the cap at the sametime. If the device is to be used with a child resistant cap of thetwo-piece push and turn type, then the ratchet wheel may be eitherattached to or integral with the outer portion of the two-pieces.

Another embodiment with another means for attaching the device to anordinary cap 502 is shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7. In this embodiment, thecap includes the ratchet wheel 300 and indicator wheel 200 as in theother embodiments. However, the depending skirt of the outer cover 150terminates at the ratchet wheel 300. The device can be attached to thetop of any ordinary cap with a double-sided adhesive pad or otheradhesive means. It will be apparent that this configuration can also beused in a wide variety of applications not involving caps or containers.For example, the device could be attached to a refrigerator to indicatethe number of times it is opened by instructing each person accessingthe refrigerator to advance the device each time the door is opened, andso on.

The outer cover 150 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 also has a set of knobs 152or other protrusions or grasp-facilitating elements spaced around itscircumference. The knobs 152 help the user to grasp the outer cover 150effectively. By eliminating the depending skirt, the device is morecompact and streamlined, which may be a factor in aesthetics or inmarketing.

Another embodiment is shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9. This embodiment isdesigned for use with caps and containers that are made child-resistentby the use of a pair of arrows on the cap and container that must bealigned in order to remove the cap. As shown in FIG. 8, the dependingskirt of the outer cover 100 includes a cut-out 160. This cutout 160allows the user to see the arrow 512 on the cap, so that the user canalign it with the arrow 514 on the container. Alternatively, as shown inFIG. 9 the skirt on the outer cover 100 may itself include an arrow 170,so that the user can align the arrow on the outer cover 100 with thearrow 512 on the cap and then simply align the outer cover arrow 170with the container arrow 514 without regard to the concealed arrow 512on the cap.

Yet another embodiment is shown in FIG. 10. The embodiment of FIG. 10includes an outer cover 710 with a depending skirt 711 and a top 712which hinges open from the depending skirt through a hinge portion 714or is otherwise removably attached to the depending skirt. The outercover 710 with the top 712 and hinge portion 714 can be made from aresilient injected plastic. The top 712 is snapped onto the top of thedepending skirt 711 by means of one or more projections 718 which extendfrom the bottom of the top 712 and engage mating holes 720 in the top ofthe depending skirt 711. The projections 718 are preferably knobs thatsnap onto the mating holes 720 to form a friction fit holding the top712 in place.

The indicator wheel 730 of this embodiment includes a pair of tabs 732extending upward from the upper surface of the indicator wheel. Theindicator wheel 730 receives a paper or thin film indicator wheel disk738 which is printed with the desired dosage regimen. The indicatorwheel disk 738 has a pair of retaining holes 734 which mate with theprojections 718 to hold the indicator wheel disk 738 from turning withrespect to the indicator wheel 730.

The indicator wheel disk 738 may be printed with any desired dosageinformation. If the ratchet and pawls are configured to provide fourteenindicator wheel positions, then it can be seen that the device will beeasily usable with any of several indicator wheel disks 738. Forexample, the device could be used with the following indicator wheeldisks:

(a) a disk with once a day dosage for a fourteen day period;

(b) a disk with twice a day dosages for a seven day period;

(c) a disk with three times a day dosages for a four day period, withtwo blank positions;

(d) a disk with four times a day dosages for a three day period, withtwo blank positions;

(e) a disk with seven times a day dosages for a two day period;

It will be apparent that such a device may use a disk with any othernumber of dosages per day up to and including fourteen, by including anumber of blank positions equal to fourteen minus the number of dosagesper day times the number of days provided. The blank positions mayinclude an arrow pointing in the direction of outer cover rotation,thereby instructing the user to advance to the next position.

What is claimed is:
 1. An indicator device for mounting a closure for acontainer, to indicate the opening or closing of the container,comprising:(a) an outer cover including a top piece with an indicatorwindow therein and a depending skirt extending axially downward from thetop piece; (b) a retainer attached to the outer cover, whereby the outercover can limitedly rotate in relation to the retainer; (c) an indicatorwheel disposed between the outer cover top piece and the retainer,having indicating symbols visible through the indicator window; (d)means for snapping the indicator device onto the closure; (e) afirst-rotation mechanism engaging said indicator wheel with said outercover for allowing rotation of the outer cover in relation to theindicator wheel in a first-rotational direction, but not in asecond-rotation direction opposite the first-rotational direction, saidrotation mechanism including a flexible pawl, whereby one cycle ofopening and closing the container advances said indicator symbolsexactly one position with respect to said indicator window.
 2. Thedevice of claim 1, wherein said snapping means is a protrusion on theretainer.
 3. The device of claim 2, wherein the retainer includes atleast one attachment member extending axially downward, and saidsnapping means is a protrusion on said attachment member.
 4. The deviceof claim 3, wherein the attachment member is a retainer depending skirtextending axially downward.
 5. The device of claim 4, wherein saidsnapping means includes an annular bead extending radially inward froman inner surface of said retainer depending skirt to snap over an edgeof the closure.
 6. The device of claim 4, wherein said snapping meansincludes a set of ribs extending axially and protruding radially inwardfrom an inner surface of said retainer depending skirt to mate with aset of mating notches on the closure.
 7. The device of claim 1, furthercomprising a second rotation mechanism engaging said indicator wheelwith said retainer for allowing rotation of the indicator wheel inrelation to said retainer in said second rotational direction but not insaid first rotational direction.
 8. A method for indicating the openingor closing of a container to a closure, comprising:(a) attaching to theclosure an indicator device including an outer cover having a top piece,with an indicator window therein, and a depending skirt extendingaxially downward from the top piece; a retainer attached to the outercover, whereby the outer cover can limitedly rotate in relation to theretainer; an indicator wheel disposed between the outer cover top pieceand the retainer, having indicator symbols visible through the indicatorwindow; a first-rotation mechanism engaging said indicator wheel withsaid outer cover for allowing rotation of the outer cover in relation tothe indicator wheel in a first-rotational direction, but not in asecond-rotational direction opposite the first-rotational direction,said rotation mechanism including a first flexible pawl; said attachingstep including snapping said indicator device over an edge of theclosure; and (b) rotatably removing and rotatably reattaching theclosure on the container, whereby the outer cover is rotated in relationto the indicator wheel and retainer in said second direction to shiftsaid indicator symbols exactly one position in relation to saidindicator window, and said outer cover and indicator wheel are rotatedin said first direction in relation to the retainer.
 9. The method ofclaim 8, wherein said first-rotation mechanism first pawl is on one ofthe outer cover and the indicator wheel and a first set of mating teethis on the other of the outer cover and indicator wheel, and saidrotatably removing and rotatably reattaching the closure includesshifting the first set of teeth in relation to the first pawl so thatthe first pawl passes over at least one tooth of said first set ofteeth.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the passing of said first pawlover at least one of first said teeth produces an audible sound.
 11. Themethod of claim 9 wherein a second-rotation mechanism includes a secondpawl on one of the indicator wheel and the retainer and a second set ofmating teeth on the other of said indicator wheel and retainer, and saidstep of rotatably removing and rotatably reattaching the closureincludes shifting the second set of teeth in relation to the second pawlso that the second pawl passes over at least one tooth of said secondset of teeth.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the passing of saidsecond pawl over at least one of said second set of teeth produces anaudible sound.